1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention pertains to a hydraulic damper assembly including a base valve assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The hydraulic damper assemblies to which the subject invention pertains are assemblies which damper opposing forces by a flow of a working fluid between a compression chamber and a reservoir chamber. One such hydraulic damper assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,788 granted to Wohlfarth wherein a hydraulic damper assembly includes an inner-tube extending about an axis and having a compression chamber for receiving a working fluid. An outer-tube extends about the axis and is disposed in surrounding relationship with the inner-tube to define a reservoir chamber between the tubes. A base valve assembly is disposed between the tubes and has at least one base orifice extending through the base valve assembly for establishing fluid communication between the chambers. A bypass insert extends through the base valve assembly and defines a bypass passage for establishing secondary fluid communication between the chambers. A valve housing is disposed in abutting relationship with the bypass insert and has a valve housing bore for isolating the bypass passage from the reservoir chamber, and the valve housing defines a valve housing orifice extending therethrough to define an orifice plane P extending parallel with the valve housing orifice.
Although the prior art hydraulic damper assemblies are able to establish a secondary fluid, communication through the bypass passage and the valve housing orifice, there remains a need for a design which selectively establishes the secondary fluid communication independent of a pressure in the compression chamber.